Attachment for submarines and ships



July 28, 1931 ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES AND SHIPS Filed April 15, 1928, Y

J. MIRLINIK 1,816,689

3 Sheets-Sheet l INVEITITORT ameo M73 Z5 J I I III Jl A TTORNE Y5 .Iuly 28,1931. J. MIRLINK ATTACHMENT FOR 'SUBMARINES' AND SHIPS I -Filed April 13, 1928 :5 Shets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY July 28, 1931. J. MIRLINK ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES AND SHIPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 15, 1928 IN VEN T 0R. 0207266 dfz'r'iz 11/6,

W ATTORNEY} 1 The invention Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES .mrms MrRLINx, or BRADLEY, onro ATTACHMENT FOR SUBMARINES AND SHIPS Application filed April 13,

Thisinvention has relation to rescue and escape apparatus for use in connection with submarine vessels and has particular reference to means for rendering efficient and eas- :5 1ily operable the devices by which a safety chamber lowered from a floating ship or other vessel adapted for salvage purposes, may be coupled to a sunken submarine vessel, and the crew of the latter afforded safe and reliable means of escape therefrom and ingress to said chambers, and whereby the submar ne ves sel may be sealed at the exit openings against the entrance of water before or after the es cape of the crew. V 7 further relates to the provision of means for soilluminati-ng the safety chamber-that its descent may be seen by the In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a typical and preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a view comprehending in side elevation a sunken submarine vessel, an end View of a floating salvage vessel above the submarine, and a side view or elevation of a safety vessel coupled to the submarine and connected by cables to the salvage vessel;

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of thesafety chamber, and a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a submarine vessel below the same but disconnected therefrom;

Figure 3 is a sectional view .of the lower to a submarine Figurel is a longitudinal sectional view of part of the deck of a submarine vessel hav- 111 an exit for the escape of the crew; and

90 Tigure 5 is a side view, partly in section part of the safety chamber in coupled relation 1928. Serial No. 269,681.

an equipment for use in connectionwithsnnk en submarine vcsselslying on the sides.

For the purposes of this invention thedeck l of asu-bmarine vesselZ-is formed with openings: through the double spaced plates 4, 1,5,

and to these openings are fitted .th ignbles 5,

e d y flanges 7 a d Sla ed be ts t t th d k P es h s him s a tube are of sufficient diameter to afford passage h lireush f memb r f the ew, .00

P j upw d ye few inch s ab veh 119- per deck plate and a lesser ,distanee belowthe lower deck plate- These thimbles 0r tubes are screv; threaded interiorly and are ladapte d to. receive 13h? n5 screw plugs9 in thiinble (Sandinth-imble ti,

the screw plugs 10 which close and seal the p i gs gh t i bles aga nst th en a c o at r, t wh h ar remova l n i is d re or nec ssa y t ceep e t 1'1 he vessel h sa e y h mber The latter is designatedby the- F ignre l2,

and consists of a hollow casing composed of vertical enclosing walls,'and horizontal top d b t m p a This ca ing o ham e is of large capacity soas to-hold a number of occupants. An air chamber 15; having valve at a hm 1 is o ate at th pp part o h chamb r, and h nt ri f t e hann is furnished with one or more teers of beds or berths 15 to receive disabled .or exhausted members of the crew of a sunken submarine. The chamber or casing is mounted on a soft rubber block 15aby eye bolt connections 17 projecting from theside walls and there is, ,85

provided a central opening 1 8,, through the floor of the chamber and the rubber block, affording an entry to the chamber. The floor plate 156 is flanged around this opening as at 19, and the opening is provided with a flanged closure cap 20-, screw threaded inte-V riorly to engage with screw threads on, the outside of the flange. A ring 2 is secnred to 1 6 lo r en ble i to b erm m mly a t hed to an d t hed tram; he dens by th 9 o upant e th c a be Depends item the e Qir a ety 1. v b s a m ll r 2,1,

a ryi new or ab e 221 in b sed 111 raising the occupants of the vesseh 1 a tached t t upp r par o ts cas ng-W for the connection of chains or cables by which the chamber is raised and lowered. Eyes 24 are also fastened to the sides of the chambers for the attachment of chains or cables 25, having hooks for connection with eyes 26 on the deck of the submarine.

The safety chamber is lowered and raised by a floating vessel 27 equipped with a crane and other appliances necessary for the purpose, which need not be described. 7 I

The casing or chamber 12 is intended and adapted to rest on the deck of the submarine, when lowered from the salvage Vessel, previously to which operation divers will have descended and located the position of the submarine and communicated with the sal- Vage vessel. The safety chamber 12 carries flood lights 30 suitably positioned on the outside, by means of which its descent can be seen by the divers. When the casing is lowered and swung into proper position by the divers the opening in the center of the rubber block 15 will coincide with and be entered by the projecting thimble 6, which closely fits the opening in the rubber block. The latter will rest on the deck, and being of soft rubber will form a Watertight seal. \Vhen the safety chamber has been thus coupled to the submarine, the plug 9 will be drawn out of the thimble and free access will be had through the latter tothe interior of the safety chamber. It will be understood that the safety chamber is securely fastened to the submarine by the cables 25 and hooks 26. For the removal upward of the screw plug 9, it is provided with hooks 9 on top, and with a boss 9 for the attachment of a wrench.

The plug 9 has hooks 9 at its lower end for :the attachment of a chain or cable, to be used in lifting lifeless occupants of the submarine. A second'screw plug 9 is used to seal the openings from the deck, and prevent the entrance of water to the interior of the submarine after removal or escape of its occupants.

Ordinarily the safety chamber will be lowered to and rest on the deck'of the submarine, and has so far been described as intended and adapted for. such contingency. To provide for other situations as when the submarine is lying on its side instead of resting on its keel, and when for this reason the deck cannot be reached through the bottom.

of the safety chamber, in the manner described, the safety chamber may be con- I structed with a side opening as illustrated in Fig.5, which is inthe form of a projecting pipe section 30, threaded for the attachment of a' union 31, coupled to which is a rubber hose 32,, which at its outer endis clamped to a pipe section 3.3, in the end of which adj acent the hose is a threaded plug 34. Another union 35-connects the pipe section 33to the submarine. 7

When the submarine 1s lying on its side the safety chamber will be connected therewith through the connection above described and the chamber will be entered laterally instead of in a vertical direction.

When not in use the rubber hose 32 can be folded or collapsed andremain attached to the safety chamber.

' It is to be understood that the submarine may and should have as many egress openings as there are chambers liable to be occupied by the crew, so thatif intercommunication is cut off the safety chamber may be moved from place to place and thus reach all the occupants of the submarine.

WVhat I claim as new is 1. In combination with a vessel having a tubular mounting passing through its wall and having a detachable closure within the mounting, life saving apparatus comprising a chamber member provided with an' open-' ing of the same diameter as the exterior diameter of the tubular mounting, a block of soft elastic material carried by the chamber member and having an opening registering with the opening of the chamber member, said block being of greater transverse thickness than the height of the edge of the tubular mounting above the outer surface of the wall of the vessel, the opening in the block snugly and slidably receiving the tubular-- mounting, means for connecting the side walls of the chamber with the'wall of the vessel and a closure for the opening in the wall of the chamber and removable therefrom interiorly of the chamber.

2. In combination with a vessel having a tubular mounting passing through its wall and having a detachable closure within the mounting, life saving apparatus comprising.

a chamber member provided with an open-"" ing of the same diameter as the exterior diameter of the tubular mounting, a block of soft elastic material carried by the chamber member and having an opening registering with the opening of the chamber memberfu said block being of greater transverse thickness than the height of the edge of the tubu lar mounting above the outer surface of the wall of the vessel, the opening in the block ,7 snugly and slidably receiving the tubular w mounting, means for connecting the side walls of the chamber with the wall of the "essel, a closure for the opening in the Wall of the chamber and removable therefrom interiorly of the chamber and a block and fall hanging pendent from the top wall of the chamber at a point vertically above said opening. v 7

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature...

- JAMES MIRLINK. j 125 

